Manning: It Starts With Practice

ColtPower.com

10/22/2009

Peyton Manning talked about getting ready for a winless team, what he thought about Jeff Fisher wearing his jersey this week, on if the bye week could interrupt the Colts' rhythm, and more in his weekly meeting with the Indianapolis media.

"If he's catching any heat for that I think that's pretty ridiculous. That's the problem with giving speeches now or introducing somebody, if you try to be the least bit humorous it always comes back and they make a story out of it. I guess they just want you to be a boring speaker or a boring introducer. I don't know. I guarantee the crowd probably got a pretty big laugh out of it, and I'm sure Coach (Tony) Dungy did too. It's pretty funny to me. I don't think he should be apologizing for it."

On if he could see Colts Head Coach Jim Caldwell wearing a Tom Brady jersey at an event:

"I don't know if Coach Caldwell will be introducing (New England Head Coach Bill) Belichick at a speech anytime soon. I'm not sure it would come up."

On if it's hard to get ready for a winless team:

"This is the NFL. We're coming off a bye week. We have some things we need to improve on. We need to get better this week. I haven't studied the Rams offense, but on defense, I tell you they give you a lot of looks. Their head coach (Steve) Spagnuolo came from the Giants, and he did great things there. You see a lot of the similar schemes. It's a handful. Mentally, it's a challenge all week. It's an unfamiliar opponent, and that always presents a challenge for us."

On the Rams' record not mattering:

"I just don't think about a team's record when you play them. You study them, you study the x's-and-o's, you study the schemes, and you just try to go out there and beat those defenses and schemes. Whether they won last week, lost last week, is really kind of irrelevant. It's what's going to happen on this Sunday in St. Louis. That's what we have to worry about. Like I said, they have a lot of good athletes and DE-Leonard Little, an old teammate of mine (in college at Tennessee), made a huge play for an interception for a touchdown last week. They have a lot of players that are capable of making plays. Mentally, it will be a challenge as well."

On if a bye week can stop the momentum of a team:

"You certainly hope not. It's always a challenge for a team to reestablish some of the momentum you had going into a bye week. It really starts with practice. One thing we have been doing around here is preparing well. We've had guys that have come into practice, whether it's the starters or scout team, and take care of their jobs. We need to reestablish that this week. Hopefully, it will only make us better. It looks like we may have a couple of guys that haven't been playing or practicing out there practicing, which is always a positive. The more guys we can get back healthy, the better we can be, we feel."

On if playing at a high level week-in and week-out is part of the Colts' culture:

"It's hard for me to put what is going on this year and compare it to last year or say it's because of last year or the year before. I think each year, each team, kind of forms its own identity. Even though we have a lot of the same players, we have enough new players where this team has to form its identity, and the chemistry of this team has to come together. I'm not ready to make a full summary or judgment of this team, this year. We're off to a good start, but have a ton of football left to play. The guys are working hard, which doesn't guarantee you to win a game, but does give you a better chance. Guys are professional in their preparation. Those are good first steps. Hopefully, we can keep making plays on the field. I think it's year-to-year. You have to have some breaks go your way, but I will say that our preparation has been good here for a number of years, and the work ethic has been good. That's been the case so far this year."

On if good preparation assures that there won't be letdowns:

"I don't know where the word letdown comes into play. Whoever goes out and makes more plays, executes better, and makes fewer mistakes, is usually the team that is going to win any Sunday, no matter who you're playing. We're trying to eliminate our mistakes, our penalties, turnovers, and make some plays when we have a chance to make them."

On looking back at film of Coach Steve Spagnuolo when he was with the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles:

"He actually wasn't there the last time we played them (Giants) in 2006. He was still in Philadelphia. You certainly watch Giants film, but there is not as much reference point for us against him. He was at Philadelphia the past couple of times we played them, but not as a defensive coordinator. When you're playing these unfamiliar opponents, especially playing a new staff, there's a lot of preparing for what you see on film, but you also prepare for the unexpected, as well."

\"If he's catching any heat for that I think that's pretty ridiculous. That's the problem with giving speeches now or introducing somebody, if you try to be the least bit humorous it always comes back and they make a story out of it. I guess they just want you to be a boring speaker or a boring introducer. I don't know. I guarantee the crowd probably got a pretty big laugh out of it, and I'm sure Coach (Tony) Dungy did too. It's pretty funny to me. I don't think he should be apologizing for it.\"

On if he could see Colts Head Coach Jim Caldwell wearing a Tom Brady jersey at an event:

\"I don't know if Coach Caldwell will be introducing (New England Head Coach Bill) Belichick at a speech anytime soon. I'm not sure it would come up.\"

On if it's hard to get ready for a winless team:

\"This is the NFL. We're coming off a bye week. We have some things we need to improve on. We need to get better this week. I haven't studied the Rams offense, but on defense, I tell you they give you a lot of looks. Their head coach (Steve) Spagnuolo came from the Giants, and he did great things there. You see a lot of the similar schemes. It's a handful. Mentally, it's a challenge all week. It's an unfamiliar opponent, and that always presents a challenge for us.\"

On the Rams' record not mattering:

\"I just don't think about a team's record when you play them. You study them, you study the x's-and-o's, you study the schemes, and you just try to go out there and beat those defenses and schemes. Whether they won last week, lost last week, is really kind of irrelevant. It's what's going to happen on this Sunday in St. Louis. That's what we have to worry about. Like I said, they have a lot of good athletes and DE-Leonard Little, an old teammate of mine (in college at Tennessee), made a huge play for an interception for a touchdown last week. They have a lot of players that are capable of making plays. Mentally, it will be a challenge as well.\"

On if a bye week can stop the momentum of a team:

\"You certainly hope not. It's always a challenge for a team to reestablish some of the momentum you had going into a bye week. It really starts with practice. One thing we have been doing around here is preparing well. We've had guys that have come into practice, whether it's the starters or scout team, and take care of their jobs. We need to reestablish that this week. Hopefully, it will only make us better. It looks like we may have a couple of guys that haven't been playing or practicing out there practicing, which is always a positive. The more guys we can get back healthy, the better we can be, we feel.\"

On if playing at a high level week-in and week-out is part of the Colts' culture:

\"It's hard for me to put what is going on this year and compare it to last year or say it's because of last year or the year before. I think each year, each team, kind of forms its own identity. Even though we have a lot of the same players, we have enough new players where this team has to form its identity, and the chemistry of this team has to come together. I'm not ready to make a full summary or judgment of this team, this year. We're off to a good start, but have a ton of football left to play. The guys are working hard, which doesn't guarantee you to win a game, but does give you a better chance. Guys are professional in their preparation. Those are good first steps. Hopefully, we can keep making plays on the field. I think it's year-to-year. You have to have some breaks go your way, but I will say that our preparation has been good here for a number of years, and the work ethic has been good. That's been the case so far this year.\"

On if good preparation assures that there won't be letdowns:

\"I don't know where the word letdown comes into play. Whoever goes out and makes more plays, executes better, and makes fewer mistakes, is usually the team that is going to win any Sunday, no matter who you're playing. We're trying to eliminate our mistakes, our penalties, turnovers, and make some plays when we have a chance to make them.\"

On looking back at film of Coach Steve Spagnuolo when he was with the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles:

\"He actually wasn't there the last time we played them (Giants) in 2006. He was still in Philadelphia. You certainly watch Giants film, but there is not as much reference point for us against him. He was at Philadelphia the past couple of times we played them, but not as a defensive coordinator. When you're playing these unfamiliar opponents, especially playing a new staff, there's a lot of preparing for what you see on film, but you also prepare for the unexpected, as well.\"